Out of the Fire
by KAnne24
Summary: Casey is hurt while fighting a fire, does he make it? And how does Severide react?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Out of the Fire**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Chicago Fire, or any of these characters.**

**Author Note: I would just like to say that I wrote and posted this entire fic before I saw the promo for the season two finale.**

**Chapter One**

**Casey**

The truck pulls up to a large, office type building. My first thought is that this is a death trap. It looks like it could cave in at any second, but there could be people inside so we have to search it. I rush into the burning building with Mills, Mouch, and Hermann on my heels. Severide and his men are checking out the top 2 floors. While Mouch and Hermann are searching the fourth floor, Mills and I have the third, second and ground floors. I yell "Fire Department, call out!" The floor is clear and just as I turn around to tell Mills to go to the next floor I see a fiery beam right above Mills start to fall. NO! I AM NOT LOSING ANYONE ELSE! "Mills Move!" I yell and dive. I knock Mills out of the way just in time. But I am not quick enough to get myself out of the way. The fiery beam falls on top of me and I fall through the floor all the way to the ground level. I land on my back and I see the fiery wreckage land on top of me. Then everything goes dark.

**Severide**

I hear a crash and immediately get my team out of the window onto the ladder we used to get up here. I get out and see Mills anxiously speaking with Boden and I run over. "Casey fell through two floors, Kelly get in there and find him." I don't even respond. Hermann follows me into the building. We are searching the ground level when I see a limp figure under a pile of burning debris. "Hermann I found him!" We run over and begin to pull everything off of him. The first thing I notice is all the blood. I mean my god, where is he cut!? And his coat is almost burned through in the chest and abdomen area. I am about to pull off a pipe when I notice that the said pipe went right through Casey's left abdomen. "Hermann be careful this pipe is in him." Hermann visibly gulps and continues ripping off the debris. We finally get all the shit off of him. I'm really worried by the fact that he hasn't so much as moaned since we started moving things. "Hermann help me pick him up and carry him out."

"You got it Kelly" Hermann replies. We pick Casey up and start to lift him up, that's when I notice that his oxygen mask is cracked. Shit. "Hermann we gotta move, his mask is cracked and who knows how long it's been like that." Hermann and I all but run out of there carrying Casey out.

As soon as we are past the doorway Shay and Dawson are there with the collar and backboard. We carefully set Casey down and Shay puts the collar around his neck. Hermann and I each pick up a side of the backboard and we carefully place him on the stretcher. I can see a grim look on everyone's face as Casey is loaded into the stretcher. I'm sure we are all flashing back to Darden's death, and I know that I cannot lose another close friend. I don't even ask, and just hop in the back of the ambulance with Casey. The sirens come on and we are rushing down the street towards the hospital. Casey crashes twice while we are driving.

It's been an hour since they took Casey back to the operating room. No one has been out here to update us, and I don't know anything about Casey's condition. It is quiet in the waiting room as everyone wonders about his condition. Mouch, Hermann, Dawson, Shay, Boden, and Cruz are all sitting near each other and occasionally will reassure one another. Mills is here too but he looks a little worse for wear, and is obviously blaming himself for what happened. I get up to go talk to him. I sit down in the seat next to him and say "Mills it's not your fault this happened."

"I know you're just trying to be nice Severide, it's my fault and we both know it." I'm about to respond when he cuts me off by saying "If I would have been paying attention, I would have seen that beam and gotten out of the way in time." He lets out a deep breath and puts his head in his hands.

All I say is "Mills this isn't your fault and we both know it." I get up and walk back to my hard, uncomfortable waiting room chair.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Out of the Fire**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Chicago Fire, or any of these characters.**

**Chapter Two**

**Severide**

An hour later a doctor passes through the doors and approaches Boden. I immediately stand up to join them. Upon examination of the doctor's face I decide that he looks grim, definitely not a good sign. When I join them the doctor asks Boden and I to follow him to his office.

We enter his small but cozy office and sit down in the two chairs facing his large wooden desk. He sits on the other side and folds his hands, he takes a deep breath, and begins. "Lieutenant Casey suffered extensive burning throughout his chest, abdomen, upper arms, and even the upper legs. The worst is in the chest area. We were able to save the skin without a skin graft. He also has four broken ribs, a fractured sternum and his left collarbone is cracked along with his left humerus. His cheekbone and nose were also broken by the falling debris. There is also obviously lots of bruising." I can feel that all the color has drained from my face but there is still more. "But what worries us the most is that Lieutenant Casey is currently in a coma due to the lack of oxygen to the brain."

I am taken aback, a coma, Casey is in a coma? My first reaction is to throw up, but I know that I can't so I wait for the nausea to pass. I then ask "Do you know when he will wake up?" The little voice in the back of my head can't help but add the if to that statement. Oh Casey, what did you do?

The doctor clears his throat and answers "Casey may wake up tomorrow or in weeks, we just don't know but" He pauses and considers adding the next part "the longer he is in the coma the less likely it is that he will regain consciousness, and even if he does he may never fully recover." I get up and leave the room, leaving Boden to discuss the rest with the doctor.

As soon as I reach the waiting room everyone is immediately in my face. I put on my best face and say "He has extensive bruises and burns. They surgically repaired his left humerus. He also has four broken ribs, a fractured cheekbone, nose, and his left collar bone and sternum are fractured too." I have to stop because I can barely keep it together and say "And he's in a coma, they don't know when he will wake up, if he ever does." I stand there for a second and then add "If you have any more questions just ask Boden I'm leaving." Then I walk right through the doors and to my car.

I go straight to the bar since my shift is over anyway. I momentarily feel bad for not giving Molly's the business but I can't seem to care as I make my way to the bar down the street from mine and Shay's apartment. I sit down at the bar and I tell the bartender my drink order. He hands it to me and says "It's on the house, you have obviously had a rough day."

I then realize that I'm still in the clothes that I wore under my turnout gear. They still have some of Casey's blood on them and I smell like a fire. No wonder people have been giving me strange looks. I look like I'm a murderer or something.

I sit at the bar for a few hours. I am pretty drunk when I decide to leave. I pay my tab and walk out the door. Not wanting to drive I just stumble back to my apartment, it's only a couple blocks. I finally make it home and open the door and walk inside. Shay is sitting on the couch with a bottle of wine, crying. I go and sit next to her. We just sit there for a while and silently comfort each other. I guess I made it to my bed because the next thing I am aware of is my alarm going off. I get out of bed and register my vicious hangover. Two Tylenols later, I'm in the shower letting the warm water cascade over my shoulders. I am hoping that it was all just a dream, but I know it wasn't and that I need to face the day. I go down stairs and get my coffee. Shay wanders down and we get in my car to go to the station. The drive is silent and I can't help but wonder if Casey is better and that I wish he was leading truck instead of Hermann.

**Casey**

I am in the weirdest place. I wonder where I am. The purple trees and bubbles floating around are pretty cool. And now I am sitting on an orange elephant. How strange. I must ride this elephant for hours. I finally leave that strange place and I am now in an all-white room. There's nothing in here. Literally nothing, like it's empty. But I can hear a voice. Is that Dawson? I think it is. "Dawson, I'm right over here! Where are you?" She doesn't answer me so I start to pay attention to what she's saying.

"Oh Casey, don't worry I know that you'll wake up, there is no doubt in my mind that you will wake up soon. But you should hurry up because everyone is pretty upset, myself included. Mills is blaming himself for this. Casey please wake up."

"Dawson, I'm here. Why can't she hear me? What's going on?" Then I remember. The beam falling, falling through the floor and everything falling on top of me. And the pain, it was awful. Then I must have passed out because I can't remember anything else. Dawson can't hear me so I retreat back to the strange dreamland with the orange elephants. Other people come but I just block them out because I can't communicate back. Not only are there elephants but one day I get something better. My friend Andy. We talk and drink a couple beers and just hang out. After a while of that though he gives me a look and says "Matt, come on. You need to wake up. You need to start fighting fires again. You need to be a Lieutenant again. Come on Matt, I know that you're sick of this place."

I don't bother trying to argue because I know he's right. I also know that Andy's dead and that I don't want to leave this place. Because if I leave this place I return to a place without Andy and a place without Hallie. But he is right about being a Lieutenant, and I miss fighting fires. "Okay Andy I'll try to get back." I give him a hug and say "I miss you, so much you don't even know."

He replies "Matt I do know, I miss you and Kelly just as much, stay safe, I don't wanna see you for at least another twenty years." I pull away and start to find my way back to the white place of nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Out of the Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Chicago Fire, or any of these characters. Please excuse any medical mistakes or any firefighting mistakes, I don't know a lot about either.

Chapter Three

Severide

I have been sitting next to Casey's bed just talking to him for the past couple hours. I just fill him in on the latest news at the firehouse and anything else I can think of. Everyone has been here to visit him. Mills only came once. He came in the day after Casey was hurt. All he did was come in, take one look at Matt, and apologize over and over. Then he left. He still blames himself.

Casey's room is covered in flowers, get well soon cards, and even a couple teddy bears, mostly from the girls. Shay and Dawson have been here almost as much as I have, just to hang out with him. I'm happy that he isn't alone all the time. I decide to get up to get some coffee.

Finally I find the stupid vending machine that dishes out the mud. I put in my money and wait for it to fill the Styrofoam cup. It finishes and I take the cup and make my way back to Casey's room. As I enter his room his hand twitches and I all but run to his bedside. His eyelids are fluttering now too and I start talking to him "Matt! Matt can you hear me? Open your eyes Matt, please." At that exact moment Matt blinks and then fully opens his eyes. I'm so surprised that I nearly drop my coffee. He's awake! I frantically find the call button and page the nurse.

The nurse walks in and just as soon as she sees Matt's eyes are open she turns right around. I assume she's getting the doctor. My face is hovering right in Casey's face. "Matt how do you feel? Are you in pain?"

"I'd feel better if you got your ugly face out of my face." Oh thank god he's okay.

Casey

Right after I say that I realize how much pain I'm in and almost black out. I see spots and then Severide is in my face again. "Casey are you okay? What, What is it?"

All I can manage is a small, weak sounding "Hurts." But god does it. My chest hurts really bad. It feels like I got hit by a truck.

"Okay the nurse is coming Casey." I wonder how long I was out and what all of my injuries are.

"What the hell happened?" Severide shakes his head and starts talking.

"You were severely burned through your chest, abdomen, upper arms, and upper legs. The worst was in the chest area. No skin graft though. You also had four broken ribs, a fractured sternum and left collarbone and your left humerus. Your cheekbone and nose were also broken by the falling debris. And obviously some bruising. But dude you were in a coma for almost four weeks." Holy shit, four weeks it seemed like a couple days at the most.

"Really four weeks….Wow." The doctor finally comes in and puts the painkillers in my IV.

"Casey, I need to call Boden and have you talk to him. And you really need to talk to Mills. He thinks this is all his fault and he hasn't been the same lately. Everyone gets off shift in about an hour so they can all come then. Okay with you?"

"That's fine Kelly." Of course Mills is blaming himself, I would probably blame myself too. Actually I do because if I had been paying better attention Mills wouldn't have been under that beam anyway. Kelly goes out in the hallway to call Boden. Then I finally notice all the get well soon stuff covering my room. Kind of overkill I think. Kelly comes back in and starts to fill me in on stuff that has been happening lately "Yeah so we fought this really crazy fire-"

I interrupt him and say "Over on Gage Street right?" He looks dumbstruck so I add "I know Kelly you told me not even an hour ago. Just because I wasn't talking back to you doesn't mean I wasn't listening. I heard you and everyone else the whole time. Actually it was pretty frustrating not being able to say anything back." His face is pretty funny, he looks completely shocked. His mouth is wide open and his eyes are pretty big.

He closes his mouth and says "Wow that's pretty weird, I mean I was just talking to you because that's what the doctor said to do so… I did."

We talk for a while and then finally Boden, Dawson, Shay, Cruz, Hermann, and Mouch walk in. Mills is there too but he just hovers by the door while everyone else hovers over me. I make my bed sit up and just sit there and answer all of their questions. But Mills can't be ignored any longer so I say "Mills get your ass over here."

He reluctantly walks over and stands at the end of my bed and all I see is misery written on his face. "Casey, I am so sorry. This is all my fault if I had been paying attention-"

I cut him off and say "No Mills this is not your fault at all." He starts to argue but I just say "Mills! God damn it I am your Lieutenant and what I say goes. If it is anybody's fault it's mine because I should have been paying better attention to what was going on. Now do I make myself clear?"

He looks relieved and says "Yes sir." Mills relaxes and finally joins in the conversations going on and looks happier. They visit for an hour.

Then the doctor comes in and says "Okay guys I'm sorry but Lieutenant Casey here needs his rest." I'm grateful because I am exhausted and I desperately want to sleep. Everyone says their goodbyes and promises to visit again. They all leave and I can finally sleep. I recline the bed and fall right asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Out of the Fire**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Chicago Fire, or any of these characters.**

**Epilogue**

**Casey**

Three days later they let me out of the hospital. They gave me strict instructions to allow myself to rest and to remember to take my medicine. I went home to find that My friends threw me a welcome home party. It was a lot of fun. A month later I went back to the hospital for a check up.

I was sitting in the check up room waiting for the verdict from the doctor. He walked in and I was practically bouncing in my chair. "Hey Casey, so everything is healing well and I think you should give it three more weeks before you go back to work."

Ugh, three whole weeks but I guess it will be worth the wait. "Okay doc, what ever you say." Then we shook hands and I went home.

I would like to say that three weeks flew by but they really didn't. If anything they dragged by. I found myself counting the days, then hours until I could go back. I was very excited.

Finally the day came that I could go back to work. I called Boden but he was unsure of my truthfulness. I walk into the firehouse and am greeted enthusiastically by everyone. Boden clearly doesn't believe me but I have a signed note from the doctor saying I am ready to work again. I'm happy to be back where I belong and doing what I love to do. Some people may have been turned off by a near death experience, but hey, it is a part of being a firefighter. I hear the overhead telling us about our next job and I am the first person in my gear and first in the truck. Bring it on!

**THE END**

**Note: Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it!**


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